How Flipora Became Rover Without Confusing 30 Million Users

Imagine having 30 million users familiar with your company name and then changing it on them. What do you think they will do? Will it be confusing to the point of losing users?

The answer is no, not if you rebrand a company like Flipora has done by changing its name to Rover. As much research went into changing their name as did in creating the content discovery solution. It is important that the new name is aligned with the brand attributes and what the solution does for the user.

Realizing your brand image.

Rover understood that its previous name, Flipora, didn’t represent its brand attributes nor did it tell users what it could actually do for them. While 30 million users did find out by trying it or hearing about it from friends, the name may have not provided the incentive for the next 30 million.

The Mars Rover got the attention of Flipora’s founders when they were researching potential names. They liked the idea of what the Rover, named Curiosity, is doing on the surface of Mars. It is roving around in search of what has not yet been found and what those on Earth cannot yet see or understand due to a number of challenges.

The founders of Flipora realized their artificial intelligence (AI) does the same thing by going out into unchartered territory to discover and bring back beneficial content users can enjoy. They saw an image with recognizable, inherent symbolism to bring those attributes and meanings to the user's mind.

Be honest with yourself.

Once these connections can be made in the information provided with the rebranding news, users can then take that and visualize those meanings as they continue to use the content discovery solution. It's pretty cool when you figure out those meanings and realize that your target audience gets it, too.

Not every user will make the Mars Rover connection, but the name has more than just that one meaning. Rover also brings to mind dogs, those faithful companions who go out on commandand to retrieve what we want. Flipora thought this additional meaning would help people understand what the AI engine does, plus the symbol has deep meaning and value in numerous cultures.

Have additional reasons.

Rover's name change was made as it released good news. It announced additional funding from Google, Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft, angel investors and AI experts, as well as ongoing growth in user numbers. Numerous enhancements to the platform and AI engine have increased the speed and accuracy of the results, and embedded the solution into a user’s social fabric and life. Announcing the name change and news at the same time upped the excitement with the impression the company has climbed a few rungs higher on that success ladder.

Further, the company has announced that further improvements are also on their way in the coming months. This ongoing good news thread brings users closer to the company and deepens the relationship regardless of whether the name has changed. This is because users are enthralled with the experience and the continued elevated level of enjoyment.

Taken together, the research, messaging, financial support and ongoing enhancements illustrate that a company any size can successfully rebrand itself – even one that has 30 million users – without losing any support. If anything the rebranding strategy shows signs that Rover will only gain more users over time. I'm convinced that this type of rebranding strategy works and it might be just what I do as I re-evaluate my company's brand image.